The nation paid homage to Bharatratna Dr BR Ambedkar on his 125th birth anniversary and there was special session in the Parliament on November 26 last.
leaders in both the Houses cutting across party line referred to Dr Ambedkar’s pioneering role in constitution making process and his important contribution as Chairperson of the drafting committee and later as the first law Minister of India in building democracy of modern India based on the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity.
He contributed to expand democracy to all people with universal adult franchise based on the principles of one man/woman one value and provisions of affirmative action for inclusive democracy by ensuring representation of the marginalized in governance.
His political legacy continues to inspire, guide and influence over the governing principles of our nation in a situation of all kinds of diversity and inequality to ensure representation and active participation of all for building national unity and integrity of the largest democracy of the world.
Dr Ambedkar’s economic thoughts are based on the principles of equality and State ownership over means of production. He argued for nationalization of land and other means of production. He was suggesting for the fullest utilization of natural resources and human power to fulfil the material needs of the people with active State involvement.
He argued for compact holding to be beneficial for agriculture production while avoiding too much agriculture. As a trade unionist, he played a major role in bringing labour legislation to regulate eight working hour and ensuring benefits of minimum wage, social security, insurance, equal wage and maternity benefit for women workers and banned child labour.
He argued for one State, one language and said linguistic provinces would make democracy work better than a mixed language province. He was always in favor of federalism which gives legislative, executive and judicial power to States in managing the governance of the States.
In recent times while the States are demanding financial autonomy and power to manage resources, the discourses developed by Dr Ambedkar has become more relevant for resource rich poor States.
Many of his thoughts and proposals are still relevant and draw public attention in discussion on policy making and planning of projects of political and economic significance. His insightful proposals are based on information and scientific analysis and mostly targeted to public good with equity.
In the context of continuous visit of flood and drought and its damaging impact over economy of Odisha and its slow progress under developed economy, the speech made by Dr Ambedker in 1945 at Cuttack still remains relevant to the people in the State after sixty years of the death of this visionary leader. His understanding and proposals for Odisha’s development by fighting low income, poverty, diseases and inaccessibility through proper scientific management of available vast water resources need to be discussed widely by the people of the State.
Dr Ambedkar visited Odisha as the labour Member in Viceroy’s Executive Council to the Government of India. In his presidential address at a conference of representatives of Central Government and Government of Odisha, the central provinces and eastern States held at Cuttack on November 8, 1945, he explored the possibilities of developing Odisha rivers to control flood while managing water for its best multipurpose use for the people. He made valuable opinion relating to the development of Odisha based on information which is still relevant in the present context. He was worried after realizing the socio-economic realities of the people in those days. He identified flood, drought, famines, deterioration in health, malaria, malnutrition, vitamin deficiency and above all, low income and poverty as the major issues of Odisha. While discussing about the underdevelopment and backwardness, he referred to learn from the drought of 1866 which was a major cause of tragic loss of life of thousands of poor people in Odisha.
He also identified lack of internal communication links within the State either by railway or by canal to connect the vast hinterland with sea coast. He said Odisha has natural resources, minerals, coal, chromites, graphite, limestone, iron ore, mica and forest products, bamboo, and precious possession of vast water wealth. The delta comprising of three districts Cuttack, Puri and Baleswar can be traversed by a network of distributaries arising mainly from five rivers, Mahanadi, Brahmani, Baitarani, Budhabalanga and Subarnarekha for multipurpose use of water in all seasons. The poverty and backwardness of Odisha can be changed by using best method of utilization of water resources.
He was critical about the Odisha flood inquiry committee report in 1928 and the subsequent reports in 1937 and Odisha Flood Advisory committee report in 1939 with involvement of eminent engineers such as Adams William and M Visvesvarayya, on their approach to counter flood without a water management plan to utilize the excess water flows into the sea. Because the plan of only building embankments is not helpful in conservation of water, there is a need of building small reserves to store the water flowing in the rivers.
Water being the wealth of people its distribution and conservation is highly essential from the point of view of public good. He suggested to construct dams in rivers at various points to conserve water permanently in reservoirs and these reservoirs can serve many purposes such as generating electric power. The power can be helpful in running factories to make Odisha industrially developed. Another important area was navigation which was equally important and can supplement the railways. He told in spite of railways, the importance should be given to canals by reviving old canals and make new one like Germany and Russia.
While supporting the scheme of canal, he said historically canal played an important role in British India and the East India Company invested public budget for development of canals and Odisha has one such canal having its multipurpose use but after 1875 the focus was more on railway replacing canal navigation. It impacted agriculture and overall economy and changed the nature of public investment.
He proposed that it is possible to connect Chandabali to Sambalpur by a navigable inland waterway by construction of three dams at seven mile above Naraj, Tikarpada and Sambalpur. It will be affordable, cheap and convenient artery for passengers and goods traffic from sea coast to Sambalpur. He was equally concerned about submergence of land and its impact.
Finally, the conference decided to undertake a survey of the Odisha rivers to prepare projects for unified
and multipurpose development like flood control, navigation, irrigation, drainage, soil conservation and
power development.
Adviser to the then Governor of Odisha BK Gokhale also spoke on the meeting in support of the proposal of Dr Ambedkar and said Odisha is the most backward part of India and this irrigation project will bring multipurpose development for the State.
While Odisha has been continuing its struggle to change the problems outlined by Dr Ambedkar in 1945 the suggestions proposed by him have been still relevant in the context of utilization of water resources which is very central to the development of Odisha. The natural advantage of Odisha with river systems, as perennial source of water wealth, has not been fully tapped and managed for the development of irrigation which is a major reason of underdevelopment of agriculture sector of the State.
The development of agriculture will pave the way for industrialization where the water management will play a key role in producing power for the industry. The available hydro power will boost the small scale industries specially the agro based industries for a balanced sectorial growth in the State. The utilisation of natural resources and manpower in a scientific way will increase production, employment and income in the State and the backward economy can be changed. This will be a tribute to the great visionary leader in realizing his dreams.
(Email:manasbbsr15@gmail.com Mob-09437060797)